Claude Code / Alternatives
Alternatives · Nov 2025 – Nov 2026
Best Claude Code alternatives, according to developers who switched
First come the tools that developers on Hacker News explicitly said they prefer over Claude Code. After that, the best-rated terminal agent tools.
| # | Alternative | Type | Approval | Picked over Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OpenAI Codex | Terminal agent | 69% | 181 | Compare |
| 2 | OpenCode | Terminal agent | 66% | 73 | Compare |
| 3 | Pi | Terminal agent | 84% | 54 | Compare |
| 4 | Cursor | AI IDE | 55% | 42 | Compare |
| 5 | GitHub Copilot | IDE extension | 42% | 18 | Compare |
| 6 | Antigravity | AI IDE | 45% | 6 | Compare |
| 7 | Amp | Terminal agent | 90% | 5 | Compare |
| 8 | Gemini CLI | Terminal agent | 29% | 4 | Compare |
| 9 | Kiro | AI IDE | 59% | 3 | Compare |
| 10 | JetBrains Junie | IDE agent | 60% | 2 | Compare |
Claude Code itself has 54% approval from 3026 opinions. See what developers say about it →